U.S. troop leader in South Korea wants deployment of new missile defense against North

Reuters Staff

3 Min Read

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) and commander of combined U.S.-South Korea forces U.S. Army General Curtis Scaparrotti (R) wear their caps upon arrival at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the military border separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom December 7, 2013. REUTERS/Lee Jin-man/Pool

SEOUL (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. troops stationed in South Korea said on Tuesday he had proposed deploying an advanced missile-defense system to the country, to counter the growing threat of North Korea’s weapons capabilities.

In March, the North test fired a mid-range Rodong missile with a range of more than 1,000 km (600 miles), prompting condemnation from the U.N. Security Council, and being seen as preparing to conduct a fourth nuclear test.

“I recommended the deployment of the THAAD (Theater High Altitude Area Defense) missiles to South Korea,” Yonhap News Agency quoted General Curtis Scaparrotti, the commander of U.S. forces in South Korea, as saying.

The top U.S. military official also acts as the head of the combined command leading South Korea and U.S. forces defending the South, which remains technically at war with North Korea under a truce that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The United States has carried out a site survey in South Korea for possible locations for the THAAD battery, but no final decisions have been made to deploy the system, media have reported.

Scaparrotti said the United States had yet to start official discussions with South Korean officials over the deployment.

South Korea’s defense ministry said the country would review cooperation with the United States on the deployment once Washington formally made the proposal.

“I understand the U.S. defense department was internally studying (the defense system’s deployment). When a formal request for cooperation comes in from the American side, the defense ministry will consider it,” ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a news briefing.

South Korea has so far opted not to be part of the U.S. missile defense partnership that covers the defense of Japan from the North’s missile threats.

Instead, it has been developing its own independent anti-missile system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense System (KAMD).

North Korea may be closer than previously thought to putting a nuclear warhead on a missile, some experts say, making a mockery of years of U.N. sanctions to curb such a program. [ID:nL3N0O12OB]

The United States will not be deterred from plans to strengthen its military position in Asia by emerging threats elsewhere, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has said. [ID:nL1N0OG038]

The U.S. THAAD system is designed to intercept ballistic missiles at high altitudes.